Good Vibrations (And a Contest)
Last week we released a great little haptic driver from Dialog Semiconductors. This week I show you how fast and simple it is to build into a potentially job-saving project.
For most of us, when we think about haptic feedback, we think about our game controllers. But believe it or not, there’s a whole world out there that uses haptic feedback for things other than gaming.
If you were a cutting edge technophile in the 80s, a drug dealer in the 90s, or a medical professional or first responder even today, chances are good that you had or have a pager, which would vibrate when you were called. If you are hearing impaired, then you’ve probably had a haptic alarm clock for decades. And if you don’t want to be “that person” in any quiet or somber gathering, then you have your phone set on vibrate (and thank you for that). However, thanks to our release with Dialog Semiconductors of our new Haptic Driver and Haptic Driver Kit, anyone can add haptic feedback to anything with just a few lines of code and a little creativity.
To demonstrate just how fast and simple it is to get up and running with the Haptic Driver, I’ve paired it with another of our recent product releases - the KX132 triple axis accelerometer. Here are the results.
The code took me all of about three minutes, as I simply combined the most basic examples from both our Haptic Driver and KX13x libraries - sort of “a little from column A, a little from column B.” One thing that the Haptic Driver is capable of, but that I didn’t demonstrate, is its ability to change the frequency or pitch of the vibration motor using PWM. Great stuff.
If you watched the video all the way through to the end, then you also know that we’re holding a little contest. The disturbingly creepy head that I used to explain my project (the Haptic Heads-Up) needs a name, and we want you to name it. Think you have a name fit for a… well… um, that thing? Let us know in the comments below by next Thursday, May 13. We’ll be choosing a name for the SparkFun head, and the winner will get not only the satisfaction of hearing us call the head by the name they gave it, but also, the winner will get each of the three components I used in the build, plus some Qwiic cables to hook it all up. That’s right, bragging rights and FREE SPARKFUN STUFF! So get creative, and let that creativity pay off!
Rob and a friend to be named later (possibly by you!)
I suggest Robotbert, Robotbert E Lee if he can have a last name as well.
let's name him ; chef! big! dog! (mr. cbd).
He also kind of looks like the engineers from "Prometheus". So maybe engineer is a possible good name. He will be teaching potential future engineers and inspiring them anyway. 🤝 :()
He also look confused and out of place. He does not belong there.
My vote goes to "señor baldy", founding member of the glossy posse
looks like a harrold to me. :)
Otto Tomiton
Sensor Trace-y
Bob, more things should be named Bob.
Pardon me Mr. Brooks, but I am going to suggest two of your names. Hedley Lamarr and Eyegore.
I vote for Heady La Sparkfun
"Kuato", "Douglas Quaid", or "Johhnycab", as it reminds me of something right out of the movie Total Recall!
2 name suggestions 1. Harry the Haptic Head 2. Darek Qwiinn Apollo (DA for DA7280 haptic driver; (re for Reynolds); K for KX13x accelerometer, Qwiinn as a reference to Qwiic, Apollo as a reference to the Artemis processor) 3. Artemis Foul (Artemis processor + foul-looking head (not saying the Artemis platform is foul) (Artemis Fowl is also a book character)) Also, is this post going to have the most comments out of any other Sparkfun post?
I think that award still goes to the Photoshop Contest Incident of 2015
Never forget.
Wide-eyed Willy, for obvious reasons, or just Gerald because he looks like a Gerald
1) Glancelot Link, the Sparkfun Gimp 2) Trace Sodderman 3) Frank Lee Upsetting 4) Seymour Sparks 5) Hugh Art Winterface, the Serial Killer 6) Leerman Tsaidai 7) Maude the Pig
Dwayne "the Rob" Johnson - just an ode to Rob....
Uncle Fester - of course from the Addams Family
His name is Blinks or Mr. Blinks, if you'd like.
Since SparkFun is an open source company, name him Opie!
I suggest Fred, short and simple.
Bob<Harold<Fred<Willard<Elmer
(sources: in order of age-degenration).
Uvaldi - Uncanny Valley Diver - Diving right into the uncanny valley with extreme creepiness!
I call it Robort
First look I thought "Quasimodo", just by the look on his face. Hey Rob, I watch your videos for the entertainment as much as for the information, all the way through the bloopers. Such fun :)
Rob's other brother Rob
I vote for Robotbert E Lee.
There is something about him that reminds me of Marty Feldman ....
So. Marty (aka "Eyegore")
Igor
I vote for Barney. Barney Sparks.
Creepy McCreepface
Can I name it after Rob, "Rob Jr" or "Rob ' i' son"
I can think only in hex; 0xdeadfeed
Otto Mation.. he really needs a sense of direction. Perhaps "Moe Mentum". would work as well.
Sparkhead
Sherman, after the helper from Mr Peabody and Sherman on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show OR Timmy, after the helper on the "Ask Mister Lizard" show on Dinosaurs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM1S27fPUQY)
Looks like a Rey Robnolds to me.
Shawn Hymel
Looks like a Nathan to me.
Sparky
Chuckie ?
“Neanderthal robot”
May we call him; "Bogart", after the movie "This is the man with Bogart's face". It shows some resemblance.
Two variations: "Sparkeye Sentinel" or "Comrade Sparkeye"
Mr. ChromeDome McBaldy :)
Blinky The fact that it only can half blink is by far the creepiest part.
I think he should be named Mr. Dumbot (given the present conditions). Or maybe Baraka from the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Goofy
Mr. CHAIRMAN
Sparky O. Sparkfun - the O standing for Open, of course
Good stuff. I love these Friday morning treats. I would name the head "Heady mcHead-Face" just to be cute.
Ol' Sparky fits.
Quiizirobo
Quiizimoto
Name it “Ihoa Lon”, (I•ho•lon) which in thai translates to bald bastard.
how 'bout StereoViz CamHead?
How about "Hugh Man" or "Bobert". you guys are funny. thanks for making this haptic device for the Arduino community.
Heads Park its a good nickname!!! ;-)
King Crimson for sure
I vote for "Sir Shocks-a-lot" and "Bob Reynolds"
I think it should be named Prometheus. For a couple reasons, one is it's used to bring knowledge to people, and second, it's a terrifying animatronic disembodied head, kinda like the one in the movie Prometheus. 😆
maybe he's freaking in front of Rob..(guesses)..
Sparky McSparkface.
Buzzed Darkyear.
Toter Kopf (German for dead head)
Facey McFaceFace, The Headmaster. Das Kopf (deliberatly missspelled). Robbie Robot. Suzy.The Sparkfun head of power. Rob 2.0. Xavier. Rob 1&1/2. Actuatorman. Captain Servo.
I vote for Heady McHeadface
I say Lemmy, because it's a MOTORHEAD.
Try the veal.